NO WAY IN HELL SOMEONE WOULD REFUND A CUSTOMER WHO DIDNT DESERVE IT.
Actually it happens all the time. When I worked in the wireless industry I regularly saw managers approve replacement smart phones for customers even though they were out of warranty, or damaged in a way that was not covered by warranty. Sometimes it is easier and smarter to eat the loss, then deal with the fallout from an unreasonable customer.
From what I understand outfitting/guide services tend to rely a lot on word of mouth advertising, so having 1 or 2 people who are willing to make a fuss could cripple a person's ability to make money even if the people making the fuss are lying.
Personally i have no idea who is telling the truth, or if it is somewhere in the middle. If Rich really did accept payment by mail and reneged on his contract, I am pretty sure he could be prosecuted for mail fraud, in which case the OP should be contacting the authorities not message boards.
